New BU Vice-Chancellor takes the reins

23 August 2010

Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Vinney, begins his role as BU's new Vice-Chancellor.

With the start of the new academic year just a few weeks away, Professor John Vinney begins his new role as Bournemouth University’s fourth Vice-Chancellor with an air of optimism.

Since he arrived at BU in 2006, Professor Vinney has played a leading role in the transformation of the University into one of the fastest-rising institutions in the UK’s league tables. During the same period, BU’s reputation for world-leading research also emerged as Bournemouth became the 4th most improved University for research in the UK.

Not ready to rest on his – or the university’s – laurels, Professor Vinney is looking forward to the opportunities and challenges of leading BU during the next phase of its development.

“I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead BU,” said Professor Vinney. “The University has such a vibrant atmosphere thanks to our high quality academics who are passionate about their subjects, the dedication of our professional services staff, and an excellent student experience which provides a superb platform for our graduates’ future careers. We have much to be proud of and even more to look forward to as the forthcoming academic year begins to take shape.”

Professor Vinney originally joined BU in 2006 as Dean of the University’s School of Design, Engineering and Computing. A succession of promotions saw him rise to Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Resources) and then Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Professional Practice) over the last two years. Most recently he was Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

An expert in computational mechanics, Professor Vinney has held a number of roles in academia and business with a profile that encompasses research, education, enterprise and professional practice. At the University of the West of England, he was Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences after starting his career in the Shipping Industry as a Special Projects Engineer and as Design Engineer for British Aerospace (Space Systems).

Professor Vinney has a long established relationship with BU, having completed his HND in Mechanical Engineering at the Dorset Institute of Higher Education, a predecessor of the current University. He went on to graduate from Bristol Polytechnic, now the University of the West of England, where he completed his PhD in 1998.